Category: Branding

We are doubly-thrilled to announce the launch of a new business for a long-time client as well as the first product in their innovative line.

Appalachian Gear Company is a textile innovator, based here in Charlotte, which will design, manufacture and sell performance gear for the outdoors.

Its first product, the All-Paca 100% alpaca performance shirt was launched this week with a Kickstarter campaign. Initial interest is exceeding our expectations. Check it out, and stay tuned for more news!

When marketing a business or service, it’s hard sometimes to turn the corner from being reactive to being proactive. But in today’s economic landscape, it has never been more important to do just that. Today’s discerning customer is constantly looking for compelling reasons to choose one business or service over another. In essence, it comes down to your “brand promise.” When defining a brand, we think of it in terms of the 3 D’s. What makes it Distinctive, Desirable and Deliverable? Let us help discover and define the 3 D’s of your brand.

I will admit I was a bit shocked last Fall when Charlotte-based Belk rolled out their new logo for a couple reasons:

• The old mark had years of equity. Sure it was a bit dated, but aren’t we all?

• In the midst of the economic downturn, Whisky Tango Foxtrot are they thinking, spending millions on rebranding? (Store signage alone is estimated to cost $25 million)

I wanted to be a hipper-than-thou, bandwagon-jumping design nerd. I wanted to point out that their “b” looked like a rip-off of Bloomingale’s.

That they used a derivative of Avant Garde. Like Glee. I wanted to Photoshop smart-ass images like this to show how plagiaristic the new logo is:

While all those things may be true, after living with the new logo for more than half a year, I must say that I have come to like it. More than the mark itself, I really like how it has been thoughtfully translated to, among other things: bags, architectural signage, credit cards, in-store signage, and my absolute favorite: television. Having spent a holiday advertising season watching the Belk spots, I think they’ve done a great job. Using the blue petals as a visual device… I love it.

How about you? What’s your opinion about the new logo? Do you think the new mark reflects the customer experience? Does the tag line “Modern. Southern. Style” ring true to you?